You'll Be In My Heart
by shrimproll
Summary: She would always watch her son, carefully not to let him step the same mistakes like she did. This is a story of how a woman raises her son until he becomes a right person to live his life. A counterpart of Butterfly Kisses.


_This is a story of Takeru-Natsuko that I dedicate to all of you. A year ago, I published a story of Hikari and Susumu 'Butterfly Kisses' that refers to Bob Carlisle's song, while at that time one of my reviewer_ **LILFOC** _, asked me to make a story about Takeru and Natsuko. I was interested with the idea but back then I didn't have a good plot until a random thought suddenly hit me and this idea came. I can say, this story is a counterpart of the one I made before._

 _The title refers to one of my favourite_ _ **Disney**_ _classic movie 'Tarzan' ost, sung by Phil Collins (that I'm sure you would have known since this movie was famous in 90 eras). I didn't get a good title of it until a random playlist played and this song came up. I remember this song is dedicated to him from his mother so that I decided to use it as my reference._

 _I hope you enjoy the script!_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing._

Ishida Natsuko was sure this would happen after everything they passed altogether. They were sitting in the dining room, a man and a woman who still had their title as a husband and a wife, and who had to deal with the thought that they must have crossed. With a paper on her hand, she took the pen and signed the divorce paper.

"I will take Yamato," Hiroaki said.

Natsuko gave a weak smile and nod. "And I will take Takeru with me."

The workaholic man nodded. "If you are willing to give me another chance, then I will –"

Natsuko shook her head. "No," she said. "you enjoyed your work too much and I got distracted and wanted you to spare our time with us, with your family. I tried to warn and I can't, we can't just keep fighting, it's not good to them. I –"

"And I think… this is the best choice." she gave a weak smile. "you can do anything you want right now. The boys wouldn't cry anymore because of us."

She was sure that she had done a biggest sin to separate their sons due to their selfishness, to divorce and live separated forever. But she thought, this was the only way that they should have through, maybe they had realized it, and maybe they had denied it. But, this was the best choice, or else he would always repeat, and they would always fight in the end, and sent some trauma and discomfort to their sons.

"Take care of Yamato, for me." Natsuko assured. "And please, make more time with him. You might not give your time to us before, but please, don't repeat the same mistake again."

Hiroaki nodded. "We need to tell about this to them."

They went to the living room, where their sons waited for them anxiety, while Yamato hugged his little brother and assured him everything will be okay on the couch. It sent them a heartbreak as Yamato stated it, while everything won't be okay between them, or while they would separate the brothers who had a strong bond to each other.

They faced each son and explained that Yamato would live with Hiroaki, while Takeru would live with Natsuko, and they could see, even they were just innocent kids who understood nothing, a heartbroken written all over their faces, a betrayal, and a disappointment.

"So that we wouldn't live with _oniichan_ and papa again?" Takeru asked innocently.

Giving him a sad look, Natsuko nodded that Takeru could understand. In her mind, he was thinking that Hiroaki and Yamato just had a vacation, while the separation was permanent. She glanced, and noticed Yamato's face who looked really shock with the announcement, who couldn't do anything to stop them from getting divorced.

Even when the brothers got separated, she could notice a hint of sadness and unwillingness written all over their faces when she leaved with Takeru, as if it was the last time they would ever see each other. But they couldn't do anything. This was the best choice.

She tried her best not to cry, while later she couldn't hold it anymore. She once thought, that she was the worst parent that ever existed.

Takeru looked around as they reached their new residence and held his mother's hand tighter.

So that she smiled and knelt down to his height. "Takeru," she said. "from now on, if you want anything, if you need anything, please let me know, okay?"

Although he nodded, but she knew that it was hard for a little boy to live only with his mother, and mostly, it had sent him a wound, a big wound that couldn't be healed. She can't blame him if he didn't forgive them later.

She knew that he wouldn't understand this, not until he grew up and knew how cruel world was. With this divorce, everything was set off, she was a single parent who would grow up her son alone. When she knew it would be hard that he wouldn't see his father, but her son won't hear those argument voices anymore. Again, she repeated, this was the best choice, only she was afraid if their sins would be running into their sons in the future. So that she would take care of them, no matter what it was.

"Mama," Takeru asked innocently. "Why don't papa and _oniichan_ join us?"

She smiled as she knelt to her height, brushing his blond hair fondly. "Takeru," she said, answering a different question. "Once you grow up, you'll learn more about this world, the cruel one or the good one. But, whatever it is, I will always be with you."

The bond between them won't be broken. Never.

-xxx-

Takeru got along with his friends in his kindergarten class, thus it made Natsuko smile, seeing him run away and waving at her as she picked him up, while he had a problem that she had never known until that day came. While she smiled to his son, that she already got used to grow him alone, she completely ignored the neighbours who happened to talk about her, never seeing him with her husband and treating her as a single parent, which was true.

One day, the effect of the divorce was caught her attention to Takeru, after the meeting in his kindergarten, after she heard all of the gossips about her being alone, still holding his tiny hand and heading to the front gate, instead of hearing the cheers and bright children, in a second, she heard Takeru's sobs that caught her attention.

"Takeru?" Natsuko looked surprised as she picked him up, making the mothers look surprised. "What happened with you?"

"I want papa!" Takeru cried out.

"What?"

"I want papa!" he repeated. "Where is he? Why papa and _oniichan_ never visited us? I saw my friends have their papa but why my papa has never been there for me?"

Natsuko froze as she heard the whispers around her, when the gossip makers were starting, when she tried to calm him down, when she wanted him to stop crying, and when she could do nothing except to hold her tears away.

"My friend always told me that I never had a papa, because they never saw him!" Takeru continued, rubbing his eyes rudely. "Please tell them that it's untrue! I told them that I had but neither of them trusted me."

Natsuko froze, once more. So, this was what he felt being grow up without a father, while he never told her about it, not even once. At the same time, the talks got hotter and the mothers were surrounded them.

"See? She's a single parent!"

"But his son said that he has a big brother!"

"Kids can be at times saying a nonsense, right?"

"I heard his father leaved them!"

Natsuko clenched her palm hearing those words. She was a single mother, it was right. But she never had another son beside him was completely wrong. How could those mothers make such a fake story? So, she turned her head, seeing the mothers who were completely ignoring her movement. All she can do was smiling as she said.

"You know, I'm a single parent and I have raised him alone. But it's not what you're thinking. He lives with my son, and we live separated," Natsuko gave a sarcasm smile, and it flattered away. "But at least, I gave my son the right advices, that I've always taught him not to tease his friends when they have a problem. I think I can understand why my son cried like this after seeing the mothers who raised them."

With that, she took Takeru's hand and leaved them wordlessly.

* * *

"Takeru," Natsuko knelt down to his height, after being apart with the mothers and brought him to the park. "Stop crying, okay?"

"Mama," Takeru sobbed. "Why do… papa and _oniichan_ never visit us? Do they forget about us? Do we ever see them again?"

Natsuko felt really worse. But instead, she smiled and took his tiny hand, while she placed her other hand on his shoulder and rubbed it.

"Don't worry, they will never forget us, and we will see them again." Natsuko smiled, as she slowly saw a smile hinted on his tiny lips. "It will be alright. I will protect you."

"And Takeru," Natsuko smiled. "even though papa and _oniichan_ don't live with us anymore, but they are still your family, and you have the same blood with them."

"Takeru," she continued as her son kept watching her. "One day, you will grow up and you will understand it. You will meet someone, someone really precious that you need to protect. You will know the pain and the happiness that you will spend with her. But trust me, I will protect you from the pain, I will never let you to repeat the same mistakes that we did."

Nor did she want him to step the same path like her.

-xxx-

Takaishi Natsuko smiled. She knew that moving to Odaiba three years ago was a good choice that she never planned before. She can see him spending his time more with Yamato or his father, although she tried to avoid to meet his eyes with her former husband's, she can allow him to see another places beside Setagaya (1), she can see him having more friends than he did in Setagaya, she can see him reuniting with his fellow Chosen Children friends, even seeing him with his big brother.

And mostly, she can see him finding out someone that he needed to protect, and knew there was someone important among the people he had ever met. She knew that it was his time to find out someone he needed to protect, and to take care.

Whenever Natsuko returned from her work, she can see them in the residence and laugh like every couple supposed to be. Whenever they got caught, they would separate and the girl would bow to her politely. Natsuko knew, even though just by seeing it from his face, she knew that Takeru cared about this girl so much.

One day, she came home earlier and expected to see them, or else they went out. But she didn't see them. All she can see was just her son who watched television, and his eyes never focused with the programs. Natsuko wondered, was there something wrong?

"Takeru?" Natsuko approached him and she seemed to be right when she saw him beam at her. "It's pretty rare to see you without her."

Takeru stared at her, before chuckling. "Well, we need a time to be alone."

She can hear a sadness and disappointment through his voice, though he had tried his best to hide it, but mother's instinct was stronger.

"Are you two fighting?"

Takeru beamed and saw her, the eyes that resemblance to her had widened, before giving her a weak smile and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Just… a small argument."

Natsuko put her hand around his shoulder, assuring him to tell her. It must be a big mistake and made him feel insecure and sad. She knew that it was the time when she could give him some help and tips to have a better relationship, unlike her and Hiroaki's.

"It's a common thing," Natsuko said. "But, if you think that you are the one who made the mistake, I think you should apologize."

He looked grumpy. "I just didn't like to see her talking to another guy, and she said that I shouldn't be like that, that's all."

Natsuko blinked. If she weren't feel sorry with their fight, she would have laughed after hearing the reason; she thought that the reason was something more complex than that. She didn't know that his son was like this, too cared and never let the one he cared went to another guy, even if it was just talking.

But at least, she felt relieved because it was just a little argument. A common argument that could easily be finished soon.

"Are you jealous?" Natsuko chuckled.

Takeru blinked. "What?"

"If you don't like her to talk to another guy, it means that you are jealous," Natsuko assured him. "and I think you should explain to her so that she could understand."

Then she got a bit serious. "I just… don't like to see the two of you fighting."

She felt that any arguments that she had ever seen reminded her to those painful days, whenever she got fight with Hiroaki. She didn't want her son to repeat what she had done, still loved, but decided to separate with some unreasonable reason.

Takeru stared at her, and she can read, that he didn't even know that it was called 'jealous', that made her want to laugh. Then he smiled and headed to the front door.

"Good luck!"

Later at night, he came home and gave a shy smile that told her they had made it. Takeru told her everything he said, that he was actually jealous and the girl had known it already, and they finally forgave each other.

"So, that's all!" Takeru smiled. "She told me that I shouldn't feel like that because she won't cheat away, though she knew that I felt uncomfortable with that."

Natsuko laughed. "Well there would always be a fight, but you should make it up soon." she gave him an advice, though she knew she wasn't the best advisor. "just be honest and trust each other, that's the most important key."

She knew that she was telling him about her love experiences that she had failed before. She didn't want him to feel what she felt before, never really talked and be honest about it, until finally became too late to tell.

"Thank you for the advice!"

Natsuko felt overwhelmed with that. She had never given him love advices and it was the first time she did it. At least, it went well. She just wanted him to find his happiness, but not in the way she did before, and wanted him to make sure that he picked the right girl.

This was one of the pain when he had a relationship with someone, thus he had successfully repaired it and made the right path.

"You know mother knows best, right?"

-xxx-

She thought it was one of another worst day ever.

She tried to call Yamato, but he wasn't there.

She put her hand on her forehead, recalling what she had done to him. She wasn't supposed to say it, the words burst out without crossing her mind first. A tear dropped to her cheeks, a painful and regretted one.

The phone rang and she flinched, hopefully it was someone who would tell her about his whereabouts.

"He's here," a voice of a teenage girl said, the calmed one. "You don't need to be worry,"

Natsuko sighed in relief, her mind started running down to pick him up and tell him how sorry she was, for saying and recalling things that he wasn't supposed to remember.

"But," the voice continued. "Can I ask a favour?"

Natsuko blinked. "Sure?"

"Can I ask you… to let him stay for a few days?" she continued. "Well, he was really angry when he told me the problems, and if you come and pick him up, I don't think he will say yes."

"He wanted to stay at Daisuke-kun's before but I asked him to stay at my house instead. My mother also had agreed so –"

"I'll try to chill him down and tell him that you never meant it," she continued.

Natsuko can understand it, nothing was worse than saying he did something that reminded her to the last fight between her and Hiroaki, or when she remembered she used to compare him with Yamato. They made some harsh marked words, and when anger had burst him out and he can't hold it anymore, and when he told her some ungrateful words, that she was sure he never meant to say it, and when she told him some marked words that made him run away from home.

And also, she can understand what this girl was about going to do. She didn't want everything to get worse, she didn't want Takeru to feel more painful and disappointed, like he had felt before, and now.

"Okay," Natsuko said. "Please, take care of him,"

"I will."

Hopefully Takeru will recover soon. Medicine could work to recover body, but couldn't work to recover a heartbroken, and disappointment that he felt.

* * *

Three days later she can hear the ring, and she can see her boy in front of her, just now. Smiling in guilty, and he ran to hug her, and said,

"I'm sorry."

She can feel his tears soak through her blouse and she smiled, brushing his messy blond hair fondly. When her tears came out, he flinched and saw her, and she can tell, he was smiling slightly, because those tears were a proof that she had always cared about him.

"I'm sorry about it, Takeru," Natsuko said.

He nodded and they came inside, where he put his backpack into his bedroom and came inside to drink the tea that she prepared for him. Natsuko smiled, seeing him in this residence was more than enough.

"I'll never get angry if you talk about father, not anymore,"

Natsuko blinked. "What?"

"I learned something important that I forgot," Takeru faced her, a smile written all over his face that she could tell, it was a smile of relief and rediscovery. "from her,"

"She told me… even though you had divorced with father, even though we live separated with him and _nii-san_ , but it won't change the fact that I'm still his son, and still _nii-san_ 's little brother." he said. "and for her, there's nothing called a 'former father' or a 'former brother'. It will never exist. I will always be a part of their family, and we share the same blood, just like you told me before."

"I got angry at her when she told me about it, because she had never felt what I felt. But, I saw her crying and I knew that she was crying because she can understand what I felt at that time, a heartache and sorrowful that I felt, and she told me, no matter what happened, she would always stay with me, that it was the biggest support from her, that I realized I had made a big mistake."

Takeru smiled. "So, that's why I will never think about it anymore. I'm not afraid, there are a lot of people around me, I won't be alone. I won't run away like that anymore," he laughed. "I'm sorry for being a little bit childis –"

Natsuko hugged him and she smiled, and accepted his apologies. She felt really relieved, not only because he had forgiven her, not only because he will never run away like that, or he had someone who will always stay with him no matter how hard the things he should have been through.

But mostly, she felt glad knowing that he had someone who will make him to be a better person. It was the most important key.

That girl had successfully impressed her. She had a good point.

-xxx-

She watched her wristwatch and entered her home with a plastic on her arm that she purchased from the drugstore. This morning, she called Yamato and asked him to send a letter to Takeru's school that he can't attend the class after catching a fever. Feeling struggled at work, she asked her chairman to come home earlier, a worry written all over her face. Takeru had told her that he was okay and could take care of himself, beside, his partner had convinced her that he would take care of Takeru when she was working.

She took off the shoes, noticing that another shoes shifting at the corner of the shoe rack, which meant there was someone inside before she reached home.

She quietly opened his bedroom. It was dark and quiet, as knowing as he must be sleeping, but she can see a teenage girl fallen asleep on the chair near his bed after taking care of him. She also noticed their hands were grasped to each other.

As if the sound of the door interrupted, the girl shifted her body to wake up; she had never fallen asleep fully. Natsuko smiled, pointing her thumb and asking her to come out, and let him sleep.

Minutes later, she came to the kitchen to give some helps. She also explained that she took several minutes to join because Takeru didn't want to let her go, that she needed to convince him more that she will stay at home and help his mother, which made Natsuko laugh.

"Nursing him was hard, wasn't it?" Natsuko asked as she boiled the water to start cooking.

"Well a little bit," she giggled, telling her the truth. "but I love to nurse him. He looks so cute and I can't _not_ to nurse him."

Natsuko smiled. She remembered it was her fault. When he was young, he caught a flu and no one could take care of him, only Yamato who stayed with him. She was too busy to work, so was Hiroaki. Later at night, they yelled out because neither of them could take care of him, that only made his fever get worse.

Therefore, it must be a painful trauma to him, that every time he caught a flu he would always pretend himself that he was healthier than anyone in this world. He had never cared if he died because of fever.

"Did he feel much better?" Natsuko asked.

"I'm sure that he had," the girl said. "He was vomited several hours ago before I fed him, I can see his face look really pale at that time, but I'm sure he would feel much better after vomit,"

And she giggled. "But, it's funny to me, that he looked really shy when I told him that I would clean it up, I remember _oniichan_ used to do a similar thing to me when I was little,"

Natsuko laughed, knowing that she really took care of him, there weren't a lot of people would want to clean up someone's vomit, which was another point plus.

She saw this girl, who was helping her and chopping the vegetables. Natsuko used to think that Takeru would hard to ever care to someone because of his trauma, and he found her, he found someone who cared of him, and willingly to send a support whenever he felt down and blue, and mostly, she made Takeru to be a better person, for now or for the future.

She had always been there when he needed someone to hug and talk.

Natsuko started wondering, if, just if, she would ever be Takeru's future wife. Will they keep their relationship until it reaches the stage? But, what she had with Hiroaki always a reminder of her, what if their sons repeated the same mistakes, what if the curse came to their sons?

No. it won't happen. She had watched them and known that it wouldn't happen. They may fight several times, although it was just a silly, or a serious one, and they made it. Natsuko knew that they must have learned their lessons a lot, learning some experience that would only make their relationship fall down.

The girl noticed that Natsuko was staring at her. "Um _?"_ she asked, a bit confused. "Is there something wrong?"

Natsuko smiled. "No," she shook her head. "I was just wondering if you… are going to be Takeru's future wife someday."

A silence wrapped, and she can see her blushing and ignoring her by chopping. Natsuko blinked for a minute, and chuckled after seeing her. This girl looked so cute and interesting right now, by blushing after receiving a little tease from her.

That made her think to ask a serious question.

"Do you ever think about it?" Natsuko asked. "Do you ever think that he would ever be your future husband?"

And she smiled. "And… do you love him?"

Natsuko's blue eyes widened as she saw a blood around her finger that made her stop teasing and brought her to the living room, quickly took an antiseptic and wrapped the injured finger to stop the blood. Once it finished, the girl put all of her fingers to cover the injured one, still blushing, and the older woman was thinking, it was her fault.

"I'm sorry about before!" Natsuko said. "I shouldn't have teased y –"

"No," the girl cut her off, smiling slightly. "It wasn't your fault. I was thinking about it and didn't focus so this happened,"

"I was thinking, I've always liked him and I think it was quite enough to tell him about it by showing him how much I cared about him. I never think that 'like' and 'love' are different until you asked that question. My mind was going off, if I only like him right now, or _do_ I love him?" she said, her cheeks reddened. "But, that question reminds me, what I had done to him, and what he had done to me. What we had been through together, the good and the bad one, and I got the answer so easily, much easier than getting an answer if I liked him or not before,"

She was blushing and giggling. "I'm sorry, but I won't let you hear the answer. I will keep it, I want him to be the first one who will ever hear it,"

Natsuko laughed, expecting the answer. Well, it wasn't easy to someone to tell that she was _in love_ , especially to his mother.

"Well I won't urge you," Natsuko laughed. "But, just don't tell me about your finger!"

The girl joined to laugh. "I won't!" she said. "Why don't we continue to cook? I think I'm still able to help,"

Later at night, she stared at her son and shook her head; she had told him that he should take a rest but he never heard her, instead, he took a chip and watched the basketball champion. She can't do anything, he had always like this whenever he got fever, that he won't hear anyone.

But then, she was surprised when he turned off the television and went back to his bedroom. She wondered, but it was good to know that he finally decided to take a rest, and realized that he won't be recovered if he ate chips and watched until late night.

The phone rang an hour later. She expected him to take it but he wasn't until the third rang, and she took the phone.

"Has he slept yet?"

Natsuko opened the door slightly, it was dark, and she was a bit surprised knowing that her son had slept. The woman wondered, what did this girl do to convince him to take a rest even to sleep?

"Yes," Natsuko answered, closing the door carefully, then she laughed. "I was wondering, what did you do to make him sleep earlier?"

"I just told him that I won't talk to him for a week if he didn't want to sleep now," she explained. "I can't believe the threat was working!"

Natsuko laughed. "Well, will you really do it if he refused?"

"Of course not," she laughed. "Anyway, I will come tomorrow to check him. I want him to recover soon,"

He recovered quicker than usual. Three days later, her boy came late and entered the living room, who looked a bit tired than usual. She wondered, what did he do until he came late?

"She got a fever, it's because she was taking care of me too much," Takeru sighed, but he smiled slightly. "But, I think it's my turn to take care of her. I'll make it sure she would recover quickly,"

Natsuko tilted her head. "Why are you so sure?"

Takeru smiled, and Natsuko can see it was a fond smile. "Because she told me the best medicine to recover quickly comes from the one who takes care of her with a pure and heartwarming feeling." he said. "So, I'm sure she'll recover soon."

-xxx-

She knows this time will come. She has prepared it since long time ago.

Entering the living room, Takeru is kneeling down with both of her knees and putting all of his belongings into the box. He looks serious as he puts it, and whenever he finds out something memorable, he will stare at it, recalling and smiling.

The boy that she loves has turn into a twenty-four years old man who's ready to get married. Yes, he is preparing to move out, to move in with his later wife, living in a mansion (2) once they get married. Natsuko smiles. He had collected enough money to purchase a mansion, he never wants her to help him, although she always gives an offer; he always said that he wanted to do it alone, to make sure he was ready to build and keep alive, and she realizes that he has really grown up to be a responsible man.

Natsuko sits next to him, poking his shoulder fondly that makes him winced. "Are you nervous?"

Takeru smiles. "A little bit," he stops packing to have a talk with her.

"Your father looked nervous too before. Well, like father, like son," Natsuko assures, remembering that they share the same blood. "Why don't I help you to pack?"

Takeru nods and continues to pack. The first box contains all of his birthday gifts that he had received during his life, whether they are from his family, his friends, or the important one. Takeru laughs whenever he finds out something funny, like his old hats, or some stuff that he used to love, and that he still loves.

His eyes widen once he finds out a stuffed-bear that he used to hug and cuddle, dirty and forgotten. He laughs, remembering it's a birthday present that his father gave once when he was three.

"I remember that doll," Natsuko smiles, making him winced. She still remembers the happy face when Takeru received it, when Hiroaki gave and brushed his hair. "It's a birthday present from your father, right?"

"Yeah," he says, as if looks surprised because his mother still remembers the moment. "I used to hug it a lot whenever I felt lonely, he was my companion but then I grew up and he was nowhere to be found."

He wears a strange smile. "and… I remember… every time you were yelling at each other, this doll and _nii-san_ were accompanied me."

Silence wraps. They haven't discussed this for years. She realizes that Takeru never had a chance, or perhaps he isn't brave enough to ask her why they did get divorced. Neither of them never wants to say a word about it, mainly because they never want to remember it, but it would always be remembered, the painful thing he once felt, that will never recover fully.

But now that the topic has opened, she is only hoped that he wouldn't remember that heartbroken, the betrayal that he felt once.

"… Takeru," she starts. "Do you… want to know why we got divorced?"

She thinks, it is the best time to let him know the truth. He deserves to know it after years of leaving it, although it would only make him regain the pain that he had, that he _almost_ had forgotten. Minutes passed and he still keeps silent, until finally, surprisingly, he shakes his head.

"You know, it is not good to recall the things that we _aren't_ supposed to remember." he says, a smile wraps on his lips. "I have forgiven both of you, and I know that _nii-san_ also thinks a similar idea. I always know that… there's no way we would live our life easily, there must be something ahead."

"I have a lot of happier things that I had experienced, and I know this must be one of the bad one, by not living with a perfect family, but we still have a bond. I could still see them. I still feel… lucky…"

But, there's a silent after it. Leaving the boxes behind, she wonders, what is he thinking right now? She knows that it must be hard to say it, while she also knows that those words really come from his heart. He is a mature man, who never wants to rethink the bad experiences he had once, that he had learned enough, who isn't a silly teenager that would run away after getting angry and leaving the problems unsolved, but also, who is a wanderer that thinks he leaves something important behind.

"Do you… still have your younger photos with him?"

Natsuko nods.

"… can I see it?"

"Takeru…"

Takeru smiles. "You know, the only memorable things I remember in my memories is when we had a vacation together. Both of you, the four of us, were smiling together." Takeru says, recalling his memories. "I just… want to know if you had a happier moment."

Natsuko is doubted if she should show it to him, remembering that they once had a happier moment before, that it will wonder him if he _could_ end up like them. She doesn't want him to repeat the same mistakes she did before, as if it's a curse that she had made with her former husband.

But her heart says yes. He needs to know that they once had a happier moment, and she needs to believe he will never repeat it, and everything would be okay.

Natsuko enters her room, and takes the albums that she keeps carefully in the corner of her wardrobe, and smiles as she hands it to him. Takeru accepts, and sees the album. From his face, she knows that he looks a bit curious, yet he looks a bit surprised with the photos inside.

"We had a happier moment before," Natsuko smiles, as Takeru flips the album. "but, we rarely spent our time before because we were busy with each works, and when we did, we were just too busy with our own work. All we were talking was about works. I once thought that our relationship won't work, but we got married,"

"Even though we got married, nothing had ever changed. We just enjoyed our work and barely spent our time together, our topics weren't changed at all. But, when he saw you and Yamato for the first time, he was smiling. It really made me happy but," she lowers her voice. "But, it won't change the fact that something was wrong."

"Everything looked fine in everyone's eyes, but unlike you, our conversations never worked and no one knew. We never talked or be honest to each other," Natsuko says, putting her hand on his shoulder. She thinks, this is the perfect time to let him know the reason. It might look pain in everyone's eyes, especially, the two boys who happened to be the main victims, but it might also have a secret meaning that she never wants to separate him with his father and Yamato, that she did it because she loved them.

"And then, we started arguing, although I never remember who initiated it, but I remember I always ended up crying whenever your father slammed the door behind." she says. "what made me sad, what made me finally think to divorce, was when I noticed a concern in you and Yamato's eyes, who tried to look so brave and asked me if everything were okay. You would end up crying with me. I knew that... both of you looked scared."

Takeru remains silent. She is sure that he remembers some parts of it, a fragment of memories that had broken once.

"Neither of us dared to speak, or to apologize, and it only made everything get worst." she continues to recall the unwelcome memories. "While I can't smile at that time, I also can't let you hearing those yells, I can't let you crying together with me, and… I can't live lying with either of you, and told you everything was okay," Natsuko stops. "That's why it happened and –"

A smile creeps on her lips, which tells everyone that it is a smile of relief. "That's why I always told you to keep honest and open to each other, that's why I always told you to apologize if you know that everything is wrong, and tried to solve your problems. Because communication is the key to have a healthy relationship."

"When I saw you having an opposite relationship with ours, I felt really relieved. You might have argued a lot, but you made it up and be honest to each other, which was really looked natural. I think that was my second happiness after the last one."

"I never want you, or Yamato to repeat our mistake." she says. "That is my only hope for you, and Yamato's wedding. I never expect something more."

Takeru stares at the moment, the photos about his parents being together, the smiles that tell everyone they are happiness smiles. He gives a smile, and closes the album to hug his mother. He knows that it must be really hard to come through it and they really did it, and they don't want their sons to repeat the same mistake like they did that makes him feel overwhelmed and loved by his parents. She knows that these years, he had been living with a truth that his parents were selfish and only wanted to separate them. No, she never wants it.

"Thank you." he says. "I won't. It's my promise."

Natsuko brushes his hair fondly, when her tears finally drop after holding them up.

"You know mother knows best, right?"

It's the best moment in her entire life until the bell rings and they break apart as he stands up. "She must be here!" Takeru says, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to take it."

Natsuko laughs and goes to the kitchen to prepare a tea. From the kitchen, she can hear the voice that she knows really well. Smiling, she takes the cups before heading to the living room. Now that she feels relieved after telling him everything she had kept. Nothing would ever haunt her anymore. She wouldn't be haunted with a thought that the curse would work to her sons.

"Why do you look so crumpled? Have you missed me already? We just had a phone call an hour ago!" the woman laughs as she squeezes Takeru's face playfully, the ring on her right hand that sparkling beautifully could be seen, the one that Takeru gave.

"Who missed you? I just had a dust in my eyes!" Takeru answers, making the woman giggle. Then he smiles and whispers something, glancing at Natsuko. "I just learned something really important from a mother who wants a happiness for her son."

The woman turns her head and exchanges a look with Natsuko, before heading and giving a help to take the tea. Natsuko laughs. Years had passed, but they are still shy whenever someone catches them together doing some cute stuffs.

"We want to have lunch together," she explains. "Do you want to join?"

Natsuko shrugs. "Well Hikari, I can't reject my daughter-in-law's offer because she is cute and my son loves you." she notices a tiny blush on Hikari's cheeks, once she says _daughter-in-law,_ hopefully Hikari would get used with it soon. If she hopes for their happiness for Takeru, then it is her only hope for her _._ Natsuko laughs, and puts both of her arms around the couple's shoulder fondly, and laughs. "Let's go!"

She doesn't know that time would pass really fast. He was just a three-year-old innocent boy several years ago, and he had grown up. He has learned how painful life was, and how beautiful and meaningful his life was. He has learned how to love, and how to care with someone deeply. How to ease the pain, and how to build a relationship that will last forever.

She had done her job to raise him to be a right man. One day, there would come the day when she couldn't be there to help him anymore. She knows, with everyone around him, he would be strong enough to come through it, but believe it, she would always watch him.

' _Just look over your shoulder, Takeru. I'll be there. Always.'_ Natsuko smiles.

* * *

 _I really enjoyed making the 1_ _st_ _and 2_ _nd_ _part, thus it also made me feel pain. I hope the ending satisfy you enough, since it didn't make me feel satisfied honestly._

 _1\. Takeru and his mother lived in Setagaya before moved to Odaiba._

 _2\. In Japan, mansion is an apartment but fancier than apartment there. Most citizens are living there._

 _Put your review, sorry for the mistakes I did in this story, and have a nice day!_


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